INDIANAPOLIS — Four of the first five players Jon Robinson drafted in 2016, in his first months as general manager of the Titans, could be starters next season.

Two of those players – first-round right tackle Jack Conklin and third-round safety Kevin Byard – have been named first-team All-Pro. Two of the three second-round picks – nose tackle Austin Johnson and running back Derrick Henry – already have contributed heavily to the team’s success.

But former second-round pick Kevin Dodd, drafted 33rd overall with the idea that the Clemson defensive end would transition to outside linebacker in the Titans’ 3-4 front, remains the young GM’s largest potential miss. The 6-foot-5, 277-pound edge rusher was sidelined for much of his rookie season by a stress fracture in his foot that twice required surgery. Healthy last season, he contributed just seven tackles in nine games.

Tennessee Titans outside linebacker Kevin Dodd (93) walks into the locker room in the second quarter with a hip contusion of a preseason game against the Chiefs Arrowhead Stadium Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017 in Kansas City, Mo.
George Walker IV / tennessean.com

Tennessee Titans outside linebacker Kevin Dodd (93) recovers a fumble by the Chiefs in the first half of a preseason game at Arrowhead Stadium Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017 in Kansas City, Mo.
George Walker IV / tennessean.com

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“I think right now we’re looking (at Dodd as) some sort of outside rush player,” first-year Titans coach and former Patriots star linebacker Mike Vrabel said about Dodd at the NFL Combine. “In our experience in this defense with (defensive coordinator) Dean (Pees) and going back to New England and what he’s done in Baltimore and what we did in Houston, we had those defensive ends that became outside linebackers, rushers, whether that be Willie McGinest, Terrell Suggs, (Jadeveon Clowney), Whitney Mercilus. You take those college defensive ends and you make them outside linebackers. Using myself as an example, that’s not a transition that happens overnight.

“Sometimes it happens quicker for some guys. It took me a couple of years. I’m excited to work with Kevin. I’ve talked to him. If he’s willing to work and put the work and the time and the effort in, I think we’re going to be more than happy to develop and help him develop.”

The Titans need Dodd to become a regular contributor, if not an impact player.

Veteran outside linebackers Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan are both slated to become free agents next offseason. The player who served as the primary backup at outside linebacker this season, veteran Erik Walden, is headed for free agency next week.

Aaron Wallace has flashed potential, and Josh Carraway remains in the mix, but the Titans are going to need an infusion of youth, in addition to Dodd working out.

NFL teams don’t tend to allow top-flight pass rushers to hit the open market. A potential target in free agency could be Redskins linebacker Trent Murphy, who had nine sacks in 2016 but missed last season with a torn ACL.

It’s far more likely the need is addressed in the draft, where the Titans could have their eyes on Boston College’s Harold Landry with the 25th overall pick. Landry was considered a top prospect a year ago but wasn’t as productive after returning to school for his senior season.

Of course, like Dodd, he’d need to transition from defensive end to outside linebacker.

“Anytime that you look at a skillset of a player, you try to do what the player does well,” Vrabel said, speaking about Dodd. “You put him there first. You start working on what he does best first. And then you develop and you fix and you change the things that they don’t do well. Instead of overloading him with a bunch of stuff, I think we just need to concentrate and evaluate on what he does well, and try to enhance that, and then fix and change the stuff that are areas of focus.”

Reach Jason Wolf at jwolf@tennessean.com and follow him on Twitter @JasonWolf and on Instagram and Snapchat at TitansBeat.